Risks

The risks attendant to any course of treatment vary with the patient’s overall health, the stage of disease, and the invasiveness of the treatment itself. Lifestyle modifications and common drugs for heart failure pose little risk to the patient so long as he or she is monitored for adverse effects. But as the condition worsens and more invasive procedures are required, the risk of ensuing complications can rise and affect treatment decisions.

With all treatments that require surgery on or near the heart, there are risks of:

Infection

Bleeding

Blood clotting

While the risks of such events remain clinically low for many of these procedures, any weakness in an individual’s health or the severity of an individual’s condition can increase the risk of these and other complications.